


Excuse Me, I Retain The Right To Refuse Your Evil Butterfly

by fandomchildd



Series: In Which Hawk Moth Has Regrets [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma Possession, Attempt at Humor, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Gen, Happy Ending, Hawk Moth Has Regrets, Hawk Moth is an idiot, Humor, Salt, Spitefic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 09:53:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18826273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomchildd/pseuds/fandomchildd
Summary: Marinette's never been one to control her emotions. It was surprising, really, that she hadn't been akumatized before. Lila, though, was her breaking point. She was done being a doormat.She also wasn't going to let Lila be the won to break her.What, exactly, made Hawk Moth think she'd let herself be manipulated by some other scheming jerk of a stereotypical, constantly failing Disney villain remains unknown. He clearly doesn't know the one rule most of her classmates have been living by since she gained a backbone: Marinette Dupain-Cheng isn't someone you want to piss off.Just because she's the first to to refuse his powers, doesn't mean she can't. And Marinette certainly won't let Lila ruin her perfect track record of avoiding akumas.





	Excuse Me, I Retain The Right To Refuse Your Evil Butterfly

**Author's Note:**

> this all started with me imagining someone (yes it's my idiot classmates) almost getting akumatized but then being like lemme just think immature thoughts to kick hm out of mah head and it working. then i was just like who in mlb is actually that idiotic? then i was just like okay marinette is gonna kick hm out of her head in the middle of class and be all badass doing it k?  
> then i was just like plagg needs to come and team up with marinette w/o revealing adrien and adrien just being absolutely floored  
> so this was born at 11pm at night so don't judge me and if you know me please ignore this.  
> this is just salt

 The flapping of a butterfly's wings broke Marinette out of her trance. Sitting alone, in the back, with no one. Isolated. All by a liar, and not even a good one at that. All too soon, her classmates were wrapped around Lila's pinkie finger. 

Ugh. How hideous. How was she the only one who saw through the lies? Well, no the only one. Adrien did too. 

Adrien. She used to be a mess around he, putting him on a pedestal and stumbling over her words. She didn't really know him. But she was starting to see the real him for once. Actually, he was really similar to Chat Noir, but more oppressed by expectations. 

But that didn't matter because she was here, in the back of the classroom, alone, watching Adrien try not to cringe away from Lila's advances. Watching her friends interact and laugh and talk. Isolated. 

And  _ugh_ , there was that stupid butterfly. It only served to infuriate her more. 

No, she wasn't jealous of Lila. One look at Adrien's face dispelled any of  _that_. Clearly, he wasn't comfortable with her. No, Marinette was furious. How dare this girl barge into her classroom, manipulate her friends, and throw herself over a boy too polite to shove her off his arm? How dare she  _use_ them? She knows when Lila's lies come out, it'll only bring pain to her classmates, having their trust broken. Alya would be so disappointed that she had posted that interview on the Ladyblog. 

"Nemesis, I am Hawk Moth. With the powers I give you, you'll be able to make Lila feel all the lies she's ever spoken."

The glowing purple mask appeared around her face, and she smirked. Oh, this would be  _fun._ A new, better target for her salt. "Let me see, Hawk Moth." Adrien's eyes widened as he spun around to her voice, terrified at the prospect of fighting her. The rest of the class turned towards her, Alya pulling out her phone with glassy eyes. People started to get up, either to run to her and try to help her break free or to make a run for the door. Her smirk grew. "You want me to take every lie and misdeed people have ever done in their lives and turn it into physical pain? And then fight the heroes of Paris to take some jewelry, right? You named me Nemesis. You do realize Nemesis is the goddess of _balance_ as well as revenge? You know what screws with the balance? Someone using both the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculous Stones to make a wish. So let me say this to you, Hawk Ass. No, I won't take your powers. I refuse.  _Fuck off_." 

A downright gleeful grin appeared on Adrien's face. An expression, that, in Marinette's opinion, belonged on Chat Noir, not Adrien Agreste. But it was a smile all the same. 

 _Good time to use those salt reserves, Marinette_ , she thought to herself. 

"But- but- you can't just refuse me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hawkass. Do you need me to repeat myself? Well, FUCK OFF. I don't need your eye-burningly hideous fashion sense and really fucking idiotic advice to get beat up by the heroes of Paris. I'm not some damsel in distress for you to go evilise. Actually, let me rephrase myself. GO TO HELL, ASSHOLE. I DON'T FUCKING NEED YOUR HELP."

The sound of someone cackling rose from the crowd. Randomly, Plagg floated up to Marinette. "Oh my Camembert, this is why my kid loves you, Princess!" he laughed, tears forming in his mirth. 

"Oh! Plagg, sweetie, I'm kinda having an important conversation right now," Marinette reprimanded him. "Alright, asshole, you're still there, I can feel it. The bond goes two ways, after all. You see, I know who you are. How would you feel if  _he_ knew too? I'm sweet enough that I have enough salt in me to outlast you by years. I know for a fact you can't recall the akuma until I accept it, or create any more akumas while I'm still possessed. You're stuck with me until I agree or destroy my sketchbook, and I won't agree until you hand over  _your_ Miraculous. We're at a stalemate, Hawk Moth.  _Balance_. Those are the powers you tried to give me, right? It's too bad I'm fine right where I am. Nooroo, on the do either hand, isn't. Or Duusu, I heard he's damaged. You underestimated me. You got cocky. It was never going to be Ladybug and Chat Noir who defeated you. It was going to be the heroes who don't wear masks, the ones who laugh and smile and live their lives. I have dreams to follow. Don't take too long dithering over surrender. Or, I could break my object and be done. After all, I do know who you are now."

"Stupid girl! My power is more than enough to overpower you! I have more power than you could ever _dream_ of. I think you'd be better off giving in now."

Plagg chomped into some Camembert and whispered into her ear, "Hey, Princess, he knows nobody  _has_ to accept his evil butterflies, right?"

"He obviously doesn't know, Plagg. Hawk Moth, keep on telling yourself that. The real question, though: How long do you think it will be before I slip up and use your  _real_ name," she lowered her voice, so only Hawk Moth would hear, "Gabriel Agreste."

"What makes you so sure I'm him? I have more power than you could ever dream of. I will squash you like a bug-"

"You mean like Ladybug, who's been kicking your ass for nearly a year now? Need I remind you that  _you're_ an insect, too? And as for your identity, well, you're not exactly subtle. Your logo is a butterfly. Your house is patterned with butterflies. You're much too evil. Your akumas are absolutely disgusting, only someone like you can make a design  _that_ bad. Sure, you akumatized yourself, but everything else lines up perfectly."

"How dare you? I'm not evil, Ladybug and Chat Noir are!"

Plagg laughed harder and zoomed away, presumably for more Camembert. 

"Says you. You spend your time monolouging in an attic- where does your hair even  _go_ in your suit? I mean really. Two way link, remember. Wait. Hold up. You monolouge  _after_ you've been defeated? Who even  _does_ that?" Marinette cried. "Don't even get me  _started_ on your suit. Your hair looks like a duck's ass without your suit, but at least it  _exists_! So yes, fuck you, I retain the right to refuse your evil butterfly. Excuse me, I have a life to attend to. Maybe you should get one."

"I am starting to believe this was a bad idea."

"No shit, Sherlock! Why did you even  _consider_ trying to akumatize me?"

"Who are you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

"I'm just a normal girl with a normal life. I have my ups and my downs, my friends and my enemies. What makes me special? The people around me. Chloe, who taught me to have thick skin. Alya, who taught me to stand up for everyone. Nino, who taught me to be kind. Adrien, who taught me how to tear down the pedestals I place people on. Rose and Juleka, who taught me that there's no limit to loving someone. Ivan and Mylene, who taught me to speak up. Kim, Alix, and Max, who taught me to face the world head on. Nathaniel, who taught me what it means to have a passion. Sabrina, who taught me what a good friend is and what negative relationships look like. The one person who's helped me the most, though, is my best friend. And he, he's the one who taught me to believe in myself, even when no one else does. I know he still will no matter what. And that's enough for me. I don't look to the past, Hawk Moth. I look at the present. Isn't it time you looked to now? Mayura risked her life for you, and you still don't see her. How many losses until you finally give up? I'll say it one last time. Fuck off, Hawk Moth. I'm more than enough the way I am. I don't need your powers to prove Lila's lies. I don't need anyone's help. I've got my people, and no matter what threats Lila makes, she can't pull them away. Enjoy your life, asshole.

"But excuse me if I retain the right to refuse your fucking evil butterflies."

With that final note, she ripped her sketchbook in half, cringing at the fluttering pages falling to the ground around her. The butterfly mask and the presence in her mind flicker out of existence and she gives a triumphant grin. 

"So, Lila, I hear you've been working with Hawk Moth willingly. Five akumatizations? That must be some kind of record," Marinette sniped, then stalked out of the classroom. "Congradulations, you've beaten Chloe. Didn't know that was possible."

Cheers rung through the hallways, the students watching Alya's livestream celebrating the girl willing to stand up against a supervillain. They wouldn't believe Lila anytime soon, not after a speech like that. 

**Author's Note:**

> Update (as of August 10th, 2019): A sequel is in the works, and another cracky HM takedown called the Risks of Evilly Possessing Teenagers to Fight Other Teenagers.  
> and wtf why is this my most popular fic it was literally written at like 11pm for no fucking reason other than my salty ass wanting more crack/salt/spite rolled up into one??? <3 comments and kudos are much appreciated!  
> My tumblr is death-by-ladybug.


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